Karachi lets its hair down – this time, behind closed doors
Generation of Pakistanis who've tasted freedom of foreign universities and travel discreetly revive a nightlife scene that was legendary until Islamisation and prohibition killed it off
Karachi, Pakistan’s biggest and most diverse city, was once home to a famous nightclub scene where alcohol flowed freely and luminaries from the world of jazz played to packed crowds eager for a taste of Western culture.
Today, a new generation is seeking to revive the partying traditions of their parents and grandparents – albeit behind closed doors. At a luxury hotel in the metropolis of 20 million – better known for bitter political acrimony, gang violence and bloody turf wars – it is after midnight and the private party has just started.
In a room decorated with chandeliers, several hundred guests are letting their hair down. The music is loud and the bar is busy. A young female DJ, tanned and tattooed, is in control of the beats. Men dressed in suits and ties chain smoke as they listen to the electro-funk of Daft Punk, as women in slinky dresses strut across the dance floor.
The partygoers are from a generation that tasted the freedom of a foreign university and overseas travel before returning home to Pakistan. The party was not advertised – and from the street you would never know it was happening – to avoid the attention of suicide bombers and extremist clerics.
WATCH: Whisky, clubs, music; Karachi nightlife